In San Diego, need helping hand in deciding class schedules

[oogin]

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Aloha,

I am pulling out my hair trying to decide what I need to do to fulfill my pre-req by 2011 winter in time to apply.

I got my degree in business awhile back, but decided to go back to school to pursue pharmacy. Currently attending UCSD as concurrent student (meaning you're not actually a student, but they let you enroll if space permits) and it is purely impossible to get into lab courses, and some of the higher level classes. Waiting list for lab courses, especially biology is miles long and UC puts UC students first before letting me enroll. (which makes sense I guess, but it really makes my life difficult)

So, I am considering going to SDSU open university program (same concept as UCSD concurrent student, but SDSU allows force enrollment, prof can say yes to you even if there are people waitlisted). SDSU has many classes that comes with lab already, and wait list is not as long.

FYI. Schools do not allow me to go back as undergrad, seeing that I already graduated undergrad from different institution.

Is there anybody out there who can give me an insight on how to proceed? I would love to stay at UCSD and I've been getting good grades so far, but enrolling in classes is pure hell every semester. It will be much easier for me to get into classes at SDSU...

I feel like I'm talking in circles, but...

Anybody went back to school to study pre-req for pharmacy? How did you handle this situation? I would really really appreciate any advise.

Thank you in advance,

 

[FredDurst]

I finished up at UCSD a little bit back. Yeah there is huge competition for the upper level bio classes. What I'm doing is taking classes at the local community colleges. You can check out Mesa/Miramar/City college, they offer a lot of the upper level bio/chem classes that you'll need. Just to let you know though it's also hard to get into classes like Microbio/Anatomy during the school year because there are a lot of pre-nurse/PA/... students also trying to get into those classes. The registration for summer classes hasn't started yet so you can check those out and get your application in before the classes fill up.

 

[dtran01]

Take your science courses at a community college.

everything except biochem should be available at a really cheap rate per unit.

Why bother with the UC or CSU systems? I graduated from UCLA, and then went back to retake some courses, as well as others that I was missing at a community college. Man, I wish I did it during undergrad... would have saved me a lot of money and time. You really cant beat the 20 dollars per unit, and the quality of the instruction was better than the education I had at UCLA.

 

[kmoogs]

Take your science courses at a community college.

everything except biochem should be available at a really cheap rate per unit.

Why bother with the UC or CSU systems? I graduated from UCLA, and then went back to retake some courses, as well as others that I was missing. You really cant beat the 20 dollars per unit, and the quality of the instruction was better than the education I had at UCLA.

UC isn't full of useless busy work that teaches nothing and just takes up time.

 

[FredDurst]

UC isn't full of useless busy work that teaches nothing and just takes up time.

It's not that bad! So far I've been able to do all that busy work while on the bus heading to the school. For her situation it really is a lot more convenient. Trying to get into those classes at UCSD where everyone and their mother is a pre-med is really frustrating. Plus, UCSD splits their lab and lecture courses so she has to pay for around 8 units of classes to get a pre-req out of the way. At the local community colleges I mentioned you take just one combined course for ~$25 a unit and you're done.

UCSD does offer a better learning experience IMO, but when you can't even get into the classes at this level it may be time to look somewhere else.

 

[Chinese Bandit]

I agree. I went to a community college route (not in california) after graduating and I was accepted. Its a lot cheaper and if things don't plan out as expected you wont be left with a lot of student loans to payback.

 

[oogin]

Thank you for your insights. I did look at community collegs- and spoke to Skaggs about it- and they said they strongly encourage either UCSD or SDSU or even San Marcos, since education you receive will better prepare you for the program at Skaggs... they did not mention how this might influence admission though.

So... after thinking it over... and countless hours of going over schedules, I've decided to go to SDSU... Community college will be cheaper and classes much easier to get into- but I guess next to UC, SDSU might be a better choice for me...

and let it be known, concurrent students (students going back to school as non official student) do not go to UCSD for pre-reqs. Level of education is great, and professors are very good, and other students friendly and I like the whole environment... but it really is too difficult to sign up for classes, especially labs! Unless you are ready to attend both UC and community college at the same time. Semester and Quarter system makes it really difficult too.

Thank you everybody who responded. =P Really appreciate it!

Mahalo,

 

[Sugadarlin]

Instead of doing that concurrent enrollment thing, maybe you shoud just try to enroll at a school as a Post Bac student, you might have a better registration priority. That might be hard now though with all the State budget cuts but that's how I did it I went to Cal State as a Post Bac and then did some of my sciences at the Community College as well.

 

[Dreamer57]

I took many of the pre-req's at a community college, however, be careful with biochem. One school wouldn't accept it from community college because taking intro to biochem at the community college I went to didn't require organic chemistry as a pre-req to the course. I actually took it w/a friend of mine who was accepted at a different school and that school was perfectly okay with it.